The returning Takuvaine Warriors are ready to face the Arorangi Bears in week four of the Cook Islands Rugby League (CIRL) domestic 13s competition at Teimurimotia Park in Titikaveka this afternoon.

Despite losing their first three matches, Warriors coach Afato Ioane says they have been working on their mistakes, and today they look forward to intense rugby league

The Warriors lost to defending champions Avatiu Nikao Eels 8-60 in the opening round of the weekly competition before going down to Titikaveka Bulldogs 10-48 and Ngatangiia-Matavera Sea Eagles 12-64.

The Warriors see themselves as a team that’s stepping up, and Ioane says his message to the players is simple: “to work as a team”.

“I’ve been telling the boys that we’ve been training this whole week on our defence and also the tackle. And also, to work as a team to achieve what we’ve been going through from our training this week.”

The Warriors have about seven local players and some Fiji nationals. Ioane says they will continue to look for more players as the season goes on.

He is calling on Takuvaine supporters to be at Teimurimotia Park today to support the team.

Meanwhile the much-anticipated clash of the week will see the unbeaten Tupapa Panthers take on the Eels at 5pm.

The Panthers, who have defeated all their opponents in the last three rounds of the Rarotonga 13s league season, will be looking to win this fourth match against the defending champions, the Eels.

Last week, the Panthers defeated Titikaveka Bulldogs 32-12 on their home ground. In their first two matches, the Panthers defeated the Bears 12-8 and the Sea Eagles 28-12 at Nukupure Park in Ngatangiia.

The Eels no nonsense coach Clive Nicholas had earlier stated that they looked forward to their upcoming matches against the Bears and Panthers to determine their standing in the competition.

The Eels lost to the Bears 22-24 in a closely fought battle last week at Raemaru Park in Arorangi.

Eels captain Josh Motu said last week that although they did not get the results they wanted, he was happy the boys stuck through the match until the final whistle. The Eels won their first two matches against the Warriors and the Sea Eagles.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs defeated the Sea Eagles 32-12 to maintain their standing in the top three.

Fixtures

Avatiu Eels to face Panthers at 5pm; Bears vs Warriors at 3.30pm; Mixed red vs Mixed Blue open women’s 2.45pm; Eels vs Sea Eagles U19 1.30pm; U16: Bears vs Sea Eagles 12.20pm, Eels vs Bears/Sea Eagles U14 11.20am.